Could the Patriots move on from Mac this week? w/ James White | Pats Interference

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Three-time Super Bowl champion and ex-Patriots running back James White returns to break down everything wrong with the offense, how he would fix it, whether or not to bench Mac Jones, the possibility of Bill Belichick getting fired midseason and then answers your mailbag questions.

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Transcript
00:00:00 And we know Kraft is not a fan of making mid-season changes.
00:00:02 Not, but of course, he's had to be confronted
00:00:05 with that decision very often.
00:00:07 - I mean, obviously I'm no genius when it comes to this,
00:00:09 but I can almost guarantee that they don't do it
00:00:13 during the season.
00:00:14 If they did that, that would shock me
00:00:16 like more than anything I've ever seen in football.
00:00:19 But there's a lot of respect between like the two.
00:00:23 Like I said, like I said,
00:00:24 I'm sure they're having a conversation at this point
00:00:26 and trying to figure things out how to right this shit.
00:00:29 But I highly doubt, you know,
00:00:31 anything like drastic like that happens this year.
00:00:34 - Patsy DeFerrence is brought to you by FanDuel,
00:00:36 the exclusive wedgering partner of the CLNS Media Network.
00:00:39 - So one week ago on this podcast,
00:00:43 I asked you, the listener, and our guest then, Taylor Kyles,
00:00:47 is this rock bottom for the Patriots?
00:00:49 Because you would think, you would hope,
00:00:51 38 to three down in Dallas would be rock bottom.
00:00:55 Turns out, of course, it's not.
00:00:56 Because we are back here,
00:00:57 34 to nothing loss for the Patriots.
00:00:59 Their largest home shutout in franchise history.
00:01:02 Now joined by James White,
00:01:03 who very thankfully never had to endure
00:01:05 quite anything like this,
00:01:06 but is going to endure being a guest yet again
00:01:08 on this podcast because he is too kind to tell me no.
00:01:11 And before we get to James,
00:01:12 gonna remind you, of course,
00:01:13 this episode of the Patsy DeFerrence Podcast
00:01:15 brought to you by FanDuel,
00:01:16 the exclusive wedgering partner of the CLNS Media Network.
00:01:19 And it's a shit show right now, offensively.
00:01:23 And we're gonna go down some numbers
00:01:24 before James and I dive into that offense,
00:01:26 because that's all we're gonna talk about this episode.
00:01:28 You know, the normal format post game,
00:01:30 the good, the bad, what would NFL films say?
00:01:33 We need to talk mailbag.
00:01:34 Here's the current format of that.
00:01:36 Good, nothing.
00:01:38 Bad, everything.
00:01:40 We need to talk everyone.
00:01:43 What would NFL films say?
00:01:44 Robert Kraft would call
00:01:45 in this hypothetical season long documentary
00:01:47 and say, just pull that game out, erase it.
00:01:49 Do not include that.
00:01:50 NFL films would say nothing is directed by the league.
00:01:53 And we do have a lot of mailbag questions.
00:01:55 We have a lot of questions, of course,
00:01:56 that pertain to the offense, as I mentioned,
00:01:57 because here's the statistical rundown
00:02:00 to refresh your memory, mine,
00:02:01 and in case anyone blacked out the last two weeks,
00:02:03 because you would be very lucky
00:02:05 until you listen to the following.
00:02:06 Three points in two games.
00:02:08 One red zone trip in the last three games.
00:02:11 34 straight drives without a touchdown.
00:02:15 And they only scored that touchdown
00:02:17 because of a busted coverage.
00:02:18 The shit has hit the fan and everyone is wearing it.
00:02:21 Anyone who wants to split this conversation
00:02:23 into a false binary, is it Mac?
00:02:25 Is it Bill? Is it the offensive line?
00:02:27 No, no, no, no.
00:02:28 This is on everyone.
00:02:29 You get outscored 38 to three and then 34 to nothing.
00:02:33 This is on everyone.
00:02:35 To that end, Mac, complete mess right now.
00:02:37 Two more interceptions against the Saints.
00:02:39 He had another pick six.
00:02:41 Should have had a third interception
00:02:42 that got batted down to the line in the second half.
00:02:45 He continues to be spooked by pressure.
00:02:47 James, I'm sorry, you're gonna smile soon, I promise.
00:02:50 The receivers, least separation league
00:02:53 according to NextGen stats.
00:02:54 That's just exactly what it is.
00:02:55 Against man coverage, Patriots were three of 13
00:02:58 for 15 yards a sack.
00:02:59 And a pick, they can't get any kind of space
00:03:02 against defensive backs one on one.
00:03:04 Offensive line, still allowing the most pressure
00:03:07 in the entire league, according to anybody.
00:03:08 Pick your advanced stat,
00:03:10 your favorite analytics company, Pro Football.
00:03:12 Focus, my stats, anybody's gonna tell you that.
00:03:15 And James' old friends in the running back room,
00:03:18 Mondre, Steven, Ezekiel, Elliot,
00:03:19 they're not breaking tackles anymore.
00:03:21 We had one each from Zeke and Mondre on Sunday.
00:03:24 And Mondre's broken tackle rate is down 33% from last year.
00:03:29 Oh, and of course, coaching,
00:03:30 because this is the most basic offense we have seen yet.
00:03:33 First play of the second half.
00:03:35 James, I texted you about this one.
00:03:37 Slant flat, little dragging concept to the left.
00:03:40 Mack is looking to throw this.
00:03:41 It is day one install at Foxborough High School,
00:03:44 at BC, with the New England Patriots, okay?
00:03:47 He looks, hesitates, then throws a one yard pass
00:03:50 to Juju Smith-Schuster, who gets clocked
00:03:52 because of that hesitation.
00:03:53 And Juju's got his own problems,
00:03:55 which we already detailed.
00:03:56 But of all the stuff I just detailed,
00:03:59 and all the things that you've seen,
00:04:00 watching this team, knowing this team,
00:04:02 what is the most jarring to you, James White,
00:04:03 about the Patriots offense right now?
00:04:05 - For me, there's no energy.
00:04:07 There's no enthusiasm.
00:04:09 Obviously, it's hard to do that when you're not playing well,
00:04:11 but even from the beginning of football games,
00:04:14 it's like, "Eh."
00:04:16 Get two yards, three yards, there's nobody talking.
00:04:19 There's nobody communicating.
00:04:21 It seems like when they get to the line of scrimmage
00:04:23 to play, clock's about to run out,
00:04:25 almost every time when they're about to try
00:04:27 and snap the ball,
00:04:27 just seems like there's no emphasis.
00:04:31 Like, nobody's pushing one another to go out there
00:04:34 and correct the mistakes from the previous week.
00:04:36 You get beat 38 to three, or whatever it was,
00:04:38 you would think you would come out the following week
00:04:41 and have a little bit more enthusiasm
00:04:43 to try and go out there and prove yourself
00:04:45 and improve off of last week.
00:04:46 And we didn't quite see that.
00:04:48 It's just, I know as a fan, it's hard to watch.
00:04:51 You know, as a coach, I'm sure it's hard to watch.
00:04:52 As a teammate, it's hard to watch.
00:04:54 As a former player, it's definitely hard to watch
00:04:55 because obviously we all who have played
00:04:58 in the Patriots organization,
00:04:59 we know what's being preached by Bill Belichick,
00:05:02 by our under-back coach, by Bill O'Brien.
00:05:04 I'm sure he's emphasizing the same type of things
00:05:07 that Josh McDaniels emphasized,
00:05:09 protect the football,
00:05:11 try and exploit the defense's weaknesses.
00:05:14 And right now, it doesn't seem like they can even do that
00:05:18 because they have so many weaknesses on their own.
00:05:21 So how could you try and expose somebody else's
00:05:24 when there's so much that you're trying to correct?
00:05:26 So it's still early in the year.
00:05:29 I mean, obviously it's been really bad so far,
00:05:32 but the thing about it is there's still a lot of teams
00:05:35 across the NFL who are still trying
00:05:37 to figure themselves out as well.
00:05:39 And the AFC, I mean, would you say the Bills or the Chiefs?
00:05:43 Even them winning football games,
00:05:45 the Bills lost, lost to the Jaguars, the Chiefs.
00:05:48 They're kind of like scratching to win each and every week.
00:05:51 So there's no team that's really like,
00:05:53 I would just say, oh, they're so much greater
00:05:55 than everybody else.
00:05:56 The two best teams in the NFL are in the NFC
00:05:58 probably right now with the 49ers and the Eagles.
00:06:01 They're playing the best football so far.
00:06:03 The AFC, I feel like it's still completely wide open.
00:06:06 So that's the kind of the good sign to me
00:06:09 because everybody else is trying to figure it out.
00:06:11 They're kind of struggling a little bit too.
00:06:13 So I guess I'm still seeing a little bit of light
00:06:16 at the end of the tunnel, probably unlike-
00:06:18 - You're bringing your own juice.
00:06:19 You're doing what the Patriots feel to do.
00:06:21 You said the outset, no energy, no anything.
00:06:23 You're bringing the optimism.
00:06:24 Here's the thing though.
00:06:25 I mentioned the shit has hit the fan.
00:06:26 I'm about to piss all over that optimism
00:06:28 because the Patriots playoff odds right now, James,
00:06:32 are 5%, 5% in places that I trust.
00:06:36 And that is tied with the Bears right now
00:06:38 who just won their first game.
00:06:40 And granted, it scored 40 points.
00:06:41 It's way more than the Patriots have ever scored.
00:06:43 But I want to go back to where we are right now.
00:06:45 Instead of jumping ahead to the playoffs,
00:06:47 and it is a long season.
00:06:48 The calendar has been the only source of optimism
00:06:50 for the Patriots going back to week two.
00:06:52 We're asking Mike Kosinki to be like,
00:06:53 you guys are 0-2.
00:06:54 You almost had this one.
00:06:56 Mike, you just needed to go six more inches
00:06:57 for that first down.
00:06:58 Couldn't do it on the lateral
00:07:00 after he pitched back to Cole Strange.
00:07:03 But the Patriots, as we record here Monday night,
00:07:06 their coaches are still in meetings.
00:07:07 Their players are off.
00:07:09 We now know the Patriots are going to have
00:07:10 a rare Tuesday walkthrough tomorrow
00:07:12 when players come back.
00:07:14 Assistant coaches are going to speak with the media.
00:07:15 The locker room will be open.
00:07:17 And it's a little funky
00:07:18 'cause they're going to travel Friday, as I understand it,
00:07:20 to Las Vegas for their next game.
00:07:21 The Raiders, by the way, are playing right now.
00:07:23 - Yeah.
00:07:24 - Something's up.
00:07:25 And I don't say that in a way to be alarmist.
00:07:28 I say that in a way of,
00:07:29 the starting quarterback's been benched
00:07:31 in two straight games.
00:07:32 His backup stinks.
00:07:33 Billy Zappi's accurate throw percentage right now
00:07:35 is at 41%.
00:07:36 But Bill Belichick said, "We're going to start over."
00:07:39 And when you start over,
00:07:40 you typically start with the most important position,
00:07:42 and that would be the quarterback.
00:07:44 If it's not Mack, though, or maybe you think it is,
00:07:46 what do you think Bill means by start over
00:07:49 as they lay these plans here Monday night
00:07:51 and then start to lay them out and execute them Tuesday?
00:07:54 - For me, it's just,
00:07:56 you kind of have to completely erase
00:07:58 the first five football games.
00:07:59 I think that's what he means by start over.
00:08:01 If you continue to dwell on
00:08:03 what's happened the first five weeks,
00:08:05 then you're probably going to
00:08:06 keep playing the same brand of football
00:08:08 that you've been playing so far.
00:08:09 So for them, they really have to turn the page.
00:08:12 Like us, in the media, as former players,
00:08:14 we're going to talk about it
00:08:15 because that's what we've seen.
00:08:16 We're not in the building.
00:08:17 We can't quite knit or figure out exactly what's going on.
00:08:21 They're the ones calling the plays.
00:08:23 They're the ones out there, going out there, doing it.
00:08:25 So they have, whatever,
00:08:26 like a more honed in view of what's actually going wrong.
00:08:31 Because like I said,
00:08:32 they know what they're supposed to be doing.
00:08:34 They're just obviously not executing at a high level.
00:08:36 So for me, that's what he's saying.
00:08:38 Like, all right, first five weeks,
00:08:40 we played completely awful.
00:08:41 All right, let's just, let's scrap that.
00:08:43 Let's look at the film.
00:08:45 Let's see what's causing us those problems.
00:08:48 What's causing us to turn the football on off,
00:08:50 turn the football over on offense.
00:08:51 What's causing us not to be able to run the football?
00:08:53 Why are our receivers not creating separation?
00:08:55 Why can't we get chunk plays?
00:08:57 Why are we down, you know, 16-0, 21-0
00:09:00 in every single football game?
00:09:01 So you want to get down to the nitty gritty.
00:09:05 And then obviously everybody has to be accountable to,
00:09:07 like from coaching staff, to all the players,
00:09:09 quarterback, office line, running back, receiver.
00:09:11 Everybody has to look themselves in the mirror
00:09:13 and figure out what they can do to turn this corner.
00:09:16 'Cause I know like, they may not have the most talented,
00:09:20 whatever, offense in the league,
00:09:22 but there's players on that team that can make plays.
00:09:26 And they just have to figure out a way to, you know,
00:09:29 whatever, build them, give them the confidence
00:09:31 to go out there and do it,
00:09:32 or they just have to just go out there and do it.
00:09:35 And it's just like, you can't draw the perfect play call,
00:09:39 you know, every single time.
00:09:40 It's going to come down to a point where,
00:09:41 hey, they know what you're running,
00:09:43 you know what they're running,
00:09:44 you just got to go out there and win your matchup.
00:09:46 You know, you got the burden on one play,
00:09:48 you got to block the D in, you're one-on-one,
00:09:50 you got to block them.
00:09:51 You got to, at the running back,
00:09:52 you have one-on-one with the safety,
00:09:54 that's what the play was drawn up to do.
00:09:55 Let's go out there, win that matchup, create a big play.
00:09:58 You know, that type of thing.
00:09:59 Everybody just has to take that on as the end,
00:10:01 like for the quarterback.
00:10:02 Quarterback, you drop back, nobody's open,
00:10:04 just get rid of the football, take the sack,
00:10:06 just live, just punt it.
00:10:07 At this point, that's better than, you know,
00:10:08 what we've seen the first few weeks.
00:10:10 That's not, you know, create more problems
00:10:12 than what's already happening,
00:10:13 'cause, I mean, to be honest,
00:10:15 the defense has played solid so far,
00:10:16 and if you just don't turn it over,
00:10:19 if you don't let them score on defense,
00:10:21 hey, then maybe the game's a little bit closer at the end,
00:10:24 and all you have to do is kind of drive down and,
00:10:26 you know, kick a few more, yeah, yeah.
00:10:27 - What a novel concept.
00:10:28 - Yeah, yeah.
00:10:29 - Don't let the defense score the football.
00:10:31 That sounds great to me, James, I love this plan.
00:10:33 - Yeah, it's hard to,
00:10:35 because, you know, they've given up, obviously,
00:10:37 with like three defensive touchdowns in two weeks.
00:10:39 That's obviously pretty absurd,
00:10:41 so if they can just protect the football,
00:10:44 that's like one of my main things.
00:10:45 They can just protect it on offense.
00:10:46 Obviously, they have to be able to score points
00:10:48 and be able to move the ball methodically,
00:10:50 you know, to be able to score points,
00:10:53 but if they just protect it,
00:10:54 I think that'll, you know, give everybody a sigh of relief.
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00:11:36 (soft music)
00:11:39 - So the trouble, because Bill actually said that a week ago,
00:11:45 you know, on the radio Monday coming off the Dallas game,
00:11:47 hey, when we didn't turn the ball over,
00:11:49 we didn't get sacked, we won.
00:11:51 There's the formula.
00:11:52 And I go, okay, great.
00:11:54 Well, here's life in the NFL.
00:11:55 It's not always gonna go like that.
00:11:57 You know, you need a way to overcome it.
00:11:59 You need an extra gear.
00:12:00 You know, you see it with the other teams that you mentioned,
00:12:02 even those Bills and the Chiefs, like, yeah,
00:12:04 it starts with a great quarterback and good coaching,
00:12:06 but they have players who can make up for those mistakes.
00:12:08 They have a wider margin for error.
00:12:10 And I look at this offense and go,
00:12:11 you're walking a tight rope every single week.
00:12:13 Like everything needs to be perfect.
00:12:15 Mac needs to stay in the pocket.
00:12:16 Protection needs to be solid.
00:12:17 The timing and the routes need to be quick
00:12:19 because they're not gonna be able to wiggle free,
00:12:21 you know, from a tackle or kind of shake someone loose.
00:12:24 And there are no explosive players on this team.
00:12:27 And so when I look at the injuries too,
00:12:29 Juju lost in that game to Mario Douglas,
00:12:31 got concussed, Mike Onwenu might've re-aggravated
00:12:34 an ankle injury or has a new one.
00:12:36 It's just, it's hard.
00:12:37 So when you look at all these problems,
00:12:40 where do you start?
00:12:42 Okay, you get to go to the front of the room
00:12:43 or run this offensive meeting
00:12:45 when they're stripping everything down and going,
00:12:46 what can we do?
00:12:47 Like quarterback, as I detail, has been an issue,
00:12:49 receiver separation, the offensive line's not run blocking
00:12:52 or pass blocking.
00:12:53 The scheme is as basic as can be.
00:12:54 Where do you change things first?
00:12:57 - For me, it's the offensive line.
00:12:58 Everything on offense starts with the offensive line.
00:13:00 They don't protect the quarterback.
00:13:02 He's probably not gonna go out there and perform well.
00:13:03 They can't run block.
00:13:05 I mean, not giving your running backs a chance.
00:13:07 The NFL, if you're getting hit in the backfield,
00:13:09 every other play or most plays
00:13:11 are at the line of scrimmage every play.
00:13:13 Yeah, I mean, your break tackle percentage
00:13:15 probably isn't gonna be high with defensive linemen
00:13:17 who are 300 pounds or are right there waiting on you
00:13:19 when you touch the football.
00:13:20 So for me, that was, I know there's guys been banged up
00:13:23 in and out of the lineup.
00:13:24 Trent missed a game.
00:13:26 Mike has missed some time.
00:13:27 Cole Strange missed some time.
00:13:28 So whenever you're shuffling offensive line lineups,
00:13:31 that's, you always see every year in the NFL,
00:13:34 there's some teams that have, you know, whatever,
00:13:37 17 different starting offensive line lineups
00:13:40 throughout the season.
00:13:41 And it's typically the teams that have the worst
00:13:43 offensive line throughout the entire year.
00:13:45 So if you ever get some continuity up there
00:13:48 and able to work with one another from,
00:13:50 and build from, you know, whatever,
00:13:51 week six, week seven, week eight,
00:13:53 then I feel like they'll have some sort of improvement.
00:13:55 For me, it starts with the offensive line.
00:13:57 That's the first thing that I would fix.
00:13:58 And obviously I'm gonna go to the quarterback,
00:14:00 Mac, just don't turn the football over.
00:14:02 If there's nothing there, get rid of the football,
00:14:04 you know, whatever.
00:14:06 And if there's pressure on you,
00:14:07 sometimes you're gonna have to stand there
00:14:08 and try and make a throw.
00:14:09 Maybe a guy's not exactly completely open.
00:14:12 Maybe you have to throw him over.
00:14:13 I don't know.
00:14:14 I haven't watched like actual game tape.
00:14:17 So I can't sit here and say, you know, what's what,
00:14:20 like as far as him reading everything,
00:14:22 but from the, like from the TV,
00:14:24 it just looks like once there's pressure on him,
00:14:26 I feel like this game against the Saints,
00:14:29 he was still feeling pressure from the game
00:14:30 the previous week against the Cowboys.
00:14:32 'Cause once they started to heat him up
00:14:34 a little bit on the Cowboys,
00:14:35 that's when he's starting to escape the pocket
00:14:37 and try and find a play, you know, escape into his right.
00:14:39 That's like his favorite thing to do
00:14:40 whenever he feels a little bit of pressure.
00:14:42 He always, you know, kind of bubbles and goes to his right.
00:14:45 Sometimes there's gonna be some sort of pressure,
00:14:47 but the guys are still kind of holding onto their blocks.
00:14:49 You just kind of have to stand in there,
00:14:51 see if anybody's open that way.
00:14:53 So that'd be my next thing, just protect the football.
00:14:55 And then when you have your opportunities to make plays,
00:14:59 down the field, you gotta hit them.
00:15:01 Because right now they're not a team
00:15:03 that's very good at that.
00:15:04 Maybe when they get Tyquan Thornton back,
00:15:06 he's a guy who can stretch the field and, you know.
00:15:08 - Yeah, they're the worst in the league.
00:15:10 Throws 20 yards or downfields,
00:15:12 they're absolute worst in the league.
00:15:14 Let's stay with Mack though really quickly,
00:15:15 'cause Tyquan might come back.
00:15:16 He was available to at least if they wanted to take him off
00:15:19 injured reserve, they didn't, maybe he'll be back.
00:15:21 I don't have terribly high hopes for him,
00:15:23 but even if Tyquan Thornton comes out
00:15:25 and plays the game of his life,
00:15:26 - Yeah, it's not just- - Las Vegas.
00:15:28 - You need Mack Jones to get on the ball.
00:15:30 And, you know, there are real questions about Mack,
00:15:34 I don't even think long-term.
00:15:35 Like somehow in the last two weeks he's gone from,
00:15:36 maybe he's around for year four to,
00:15:38 it's really difficult to imagine him back next season.
00:15:41 But again, let's stay here.
00:15:42 Let's not look too far ahead.
00:15:43 Bill's message to him has been what you just said
00:15:46 for two weeks, protect the ball.
00:15:48 And he hasn't done it.
00:15:48 Pick six, the first half of both of these last two games
00:15:51 and they just get absolutely piled on.
00:15:55 Would you bench him for the sake of knowing
00:15:57 what guys in the locker room are hearing that message
00:15:59 and then watching him play and playing with him
00:16:01 and going, he's not getting the message.
00:16:03 And if you keep rolling Mack out,
00:16:04 what does that message say to us
00:16:06 when he's a big reason why we're losing
00:16:09 and yet you don't do anything about it if you're Bill?
00:16:12 - I mean, I don't bench him 'cause you don't have a,
00:16:14 to me, you don't have a better option on the football team.
00:16:17 So obviously, like I said, Bailey, he came in last year
00:16:20 and did what he was supposed to do
00:16:21 and won a couple of games for the football team.
00:16:24 But I said, he's, you've seen when he comes in
00:16:26 at the end of games or when he came in last year,
00:16:29 when Mack came back, it wasn't the greatest.
00:16:32 So for me, I don't think anybody's turning their back
00:16:35 on Mack because they obviously see the work he puts in.
00:16:38 He puts the work in on a daily basis, film,
00:16:40 all that stuff.
00:16:42 And they've seen the good from, maybe not this year,
00:16:46 but from in previous years, from his first year,
00:16:49 a tiny bit of last year,
00:16:50 they see the potential of what he can be.
00:16:52 And I think anybody who's been on the practice field
00:16:55 or been in the game with him, they know he has the potential
00:16:57 of being a good football quarterback.
00:17:00 I think it just takes, everybody's just taking that onus.
00:17:03 And I said, everybody has to help him out.
00:17:05 Offense line has to protect better,
00:17:07 receivers create more separation,
00:17:08 the running backs, whatever, something's not there,
00:17:11 make a hole yourself.
00:17:12 I think if everybody just takes a little bit more
00:17:15 of the onus, take some of the pressure off him,
00:17:16 because coming into the year,
00:17:18 I already knew he was gonna feel some of that pressure
00:17:21 based off how he performed last year,
00:17:22 the offensive coordinator situation.
00:17:24 I felt like he was gonna,
00:17:25 like, I gotta go out here and prove myself.
00:17:27 And I feel like that's probably part of the issue too.
00:17:30 Like, he's like trying to show what he can do
00:17:33 when at the quarterback position, you can't force things,
00:17:36 you can't create things, there's nothing there.
00:17:38 There's nothing there.
00:17:39 You can't just scramble, scramble, scramble,
00:17:41 and then, okay, I'm gonna throw it back across the field
00:17:43 and try and make something work that way.
00:17:45 But play's not there, it's just not there.
00:17:47 You live to fight another play.
00:17:48 So, yeah, that's where I'm at with that.
00:17:51 - Well, let's go to Bill then,
00:17:53 because he is taking a beating on Twitter,
00:17:57 which, what does that say?
00:17:58 I mean, Twitter is not a place for self-esteem,
00:18:00 it's not really happy generally,
00:18:01 but I think the fan base has turned on him in a way
00:18:04 that we've not seen before,
00:18:05 because the last two games were things
00:18:07 that we have never seen before,
00:18:09 the worst losses of his tenure as a head coach
00:18:11 here in New England.
00:18:12 And part of the messaging has been so consistent
00:18:15 that I think it irritates fans who want answers about,
00:18:17 who want answers about Mack or the offense, the direction,
00:18:20 as opposed to just the kind of same old lines.
00:18:22 And it amuses me as someone who has heard
00:18:24 these same old lines when you guys are winning at the peak
00:18:26 and all of a sudden people care about the press conferences.
00:18:28 It's always Bill's prerogative, that's fine.
00:18:30 I don't take it personally.
00:18:31 - It's not gonna change.
00:18:31 - I'm like, let's not acknowledge this is a new person
00:18:34 kind of behind the mic.
00:18:35 The reason I bring that up though,
00:18:36 is because the fan pressure reaches ownership
00:18:40 in a certain way.
00:18:41 Is it through the media?
00:18:42 Is it through close friends of Robert Kraft?
00:18:44 And Bill, inevitably now, I think it's fair to say
00:18:46 is absolutely on the hot seat.
00:18:48 And Boomer Esiason this morning raised the point
00:18:50 that maybe Bill's not connecting with players these days
00:18:54 as well as he used to.
00:18:56 You came in about 10 years ago in the league.
00:18:59 Players were different then just in that 10 year span.
00:19:02 Do you give any credence to that?
00:19:04 - I would say, no, I think he's adapted.
00:19:08 I think each year, obviously,
00:19:10 the locker room starts to get a little bit younger.
00:19:11 The generation started to get a little bit younger
00:19:14 and all that stuff.
00:19:15 You had to become a little bit more familiar with
00:19:17 what makes those guys tick,
00:19:18 how you can get those guys motivated.
00:19:20 And I think, I was in the building last year
00:19:22 and they had a lot of those same younger guys
00:19:24 still there from when I was there.
00:19:26 He knows how to connect with those guys.
00:19:27 I don't think that's really the issue.
00:19:29 - How does he do it?
00:19:30 Just to illustrate, I believe you,
00:19:32 but it's easier to know when you show us.
00:19:36 - For me, he's like, the meetings,
00:19:38 when I was a rookie are completely different
00:19:42 than what they are right now.
00:19:43 I mean, he still calls people out and things like that,
00:19:46 but he's a little, I feel like to me,
00:19:47 he's a little less harsh, a little bit more,
00:19:49 a little bit less aggressive on some of those younger guys
00:19:53 than in years past, when you had guys like Tom
00:19:56 and Devin McCourty.
00:19:57 And like I said, that's the point I was trying to get to.
00:20:00 A lot of those guys, like myself, Tom, Devin,
00:20:04 Slate's still there, David Andrews is still there.
00:20:06 A lot of those guys are gone.
00:20:07 So you don't have that little nucleus of guys
00:20:10 who've been there for five plus years
00:20:13 that can share or spread that message
00:20:17 that coach is trying to spread on a day-to-day basis
00:20:20 or show those guys, those younger guys,
00:20:22 not saying they don't know how to work,
00:20:23 but how to be prepared, how to turn the page,
00:20:26 how to improve, how to take the coaching
00:20:28 that he's putting at you,
00:20:30 or when he does put you out on the film,
00:20:32 it's not to try and knock you down,
00:20:34 it's to try and make you improve yourself.
00:20:37 And so you're not on that tape once again.
00:20:39 I think it's just all about being accountable.
00:20:41 And I think it's just hard because once a lot of those
00:20:44 core pieces start leaving, like I said,
00:20:46 it's hard to kind of keep that whole thing together.
00:20:49 Like I said, they have good players.
00:20:51 I think it just takes time for them to get
00:20:53 that understanding of his coaching style,
00:20:55 what he's trying to see from them,
00:20:56 and for them to be able to execute that on Sundays.
00:21:00 - So that speaks almost to buy-in,
00:21:03 the way that I hear that.
00:21:05 - Yeah, it is.
00:21:05 - Do you see a lack of buy-in?
00:21:07 - Yeah, I mean, for me, like I said,
00:21:09 I think it kind of goes back to what I was saying before,
00:21:11 just like, it just seems like so lethargic.
00:21:14 Like, I don't know what's the,
00:21:17 like defense, I think it's fine.
00:21:18 Like they seem like they play with energy.
00:21:19 They seem like they're playing together.
00:21:21 Offense, it just seemed like nobody's playing together.
00:21:24 Like, you know, guys, Mr. Block is just like, whatever.
00:21:27 Like they don't, or a guy came up a second,
00:21:29 he's like, all right, like whatever.
00:21:31 Like that type of thing, like third and third and 10,
00:21:33 nobody's open, like all right, whatever.
00:21:35 Like, we'll try it again.
00:21:36 Like nobody's on the sideline talking to one another,
00:21:38 trying to motivate each other.
00:21:40 Like it just seems disconnected
00:21:42 on the offensive side of things, which is,
00:21:44 like I said, it's so weird to see.
00:21:45 Like, whether it's gotta be, you know, Mack,
00:21:48 I mean, like I said, he's not whatever,
00:21:49 performing that well,
00:21:50 so maybe he doesn't feel comfortable doing that
00:21:52 at this point, like walking down,
00:21:54 like, okay, like I need you right here.
00:21:56 Like, DP, I need you right here on this third down.
00:21:57 Hunter, I need you right here.
00:21:58 Like, Ramondri, let's get it going.
00:22:00 Line, I need a little bit more protection,
00:22:01 like that type of thing.
00:22:02 Or David Andrews walking down, they're talking to Mack.
00:22:04 Come on, Mack, like, let's get it going.
00:22:06 Like, you don't see, I mean, like I said,
00:22:07 we don't see everything from the TV copy,
00:22:09 but it just doesn't seem like they have that,
00:22:12 like, togetherness, like on offense.
00:22:15 I don't know.
00:22:16 - No, I mean, I gave an example right off the top.
00:22:19 Again, things that we had kind of texted about.
00:22:20 Mike, the scheme is as simple as it can be.
00:22:22 There's missing fundamentals,
00:22:23 but between that, connecting, you know,
00:22:26 the scheme to the execution is the chemistry.
00:22:28 Quarterback to receiver, the timing with the offensive line
00:22:31 and how they're, you know, passing off blocks or stunts
00:22:33 or whatever it might be, and that's missing.
00:22:35 You know, it doesn't mean they have to be best friends
00:22:37 off the field to have chemistry on the field,
00:22:39 but like that lack of connection that you're talking to
00:22:41 is a major reason for a non-existent deep passing game,
00:22:45 struggles in the short area, and in pass protection,
00:22:48 where, you know, Tony Omafi's giving these up left and right
00:22:50 because he just can't get on the same page
00:22:52 with David Andrews or Trent Brown,
00:22:54 and then Vidarian Lowe is a different issue,
00:22:55 but tackles mostly work in isolation anyway.
00:22:57 So I think it's a really good point,
00:22:59 something that hasn't been brought up a lot in these parts,
00:23:02 just because there's so many issues to pick from,
00:23:04 but it not only reinforces what we know
00:23:07 the play in the field isn't good,
00:23:09 but it highlights something that might be missing
00:23:11 away from the camera, that kind of connection
00:23:14 or camaraderie that does help reinforce
00:23:16 what you have in the field,
00:23:17 which is that kind of chemistry.
00:23:19 So how do you fix that?
00:23:20 - I mean, it's tough to say.
00:23:24 I mean, like I said, I think it starts with, you know,
00:23:26 having the same guys on the field, like from week to week
00:23:29 or day to day on the practice field,
00:23:32 and I said, just executing in practice, whatever.
00:23:35 Like I said, finding out, like, what make guys, like,
00:23:38 tick or whatever, like if it's low, if it's buffet,
00:23:41 like, find out what gets those guys motivated,
00:23:43 find out what gets them going,
00:23:45 whether it's Mac having to talk to them
00:23:46 to uplift their spirit to try and, you know,
00:23:48 make them perform better, whatever it is,
00:23:49 whether it's, you know, Mac doing a few extra reps
00:23:52 for the receivers, you know, at the practice, you know,
00:23:55 like I said, I don't know what the exact thing is.
00:23:57 I think for them, they're gonna have to figure that,
00:24:00 you know, kind of out on their own,
00:24:02 what's gonna be the way that they can gel the fastest,
00:24:04 'cause there's some new faces,
00:24:06 but there's still some familiar faces
00:24:08 that have been there together for two or three years.
00:24:10 So you would figure, you know,
00:24:12 some of that chemistry would still be there with,
00:24:14 I think the chemistry is still there between Mac, KB,
00:24:17 sorry, you know, Mac and Hunter Henry,
00:24:19 but they haven't, their connection has been a little off
00:24:22 so far to kind of start the year.
00:24:24 But I said, there's the Juju,
00:24:26 like Juju hasn't, you know, done much of anything so far,
00:24:28 'cause Secchi, we've seen like a tiny bit,
00:24:30 we haven't seen too much of that.
00:24:31 So, and like, I don't know, just like the,
00:24:34 like I said, whether it's guys just,
00:24:36 like I said, I don't think, it's not guys like
00:24:38 chewing each other out, but just like figuring out like,
00:24:41 what's gonna get guys to play with a little bit of an edge
00:24:44 on the offensive side of things.
00:24:45 - I gotcha, which is, you know,
00:24:48 brings to mind the defense, right?
00:24:49 Which just lost Matthew Dunn,
00:24:50 who I think was their edge, right?
00:24:52 That energy, that juice, you know,
00:24:54 the unofficial captain who's not gonna go out there
00:24:56 for the coin toss because he wasn't drafted,
00:24:57 developed here, isn't in those meetings,
00:24:59 but is a leader, certainly, and in his own way,
00:25:02 it's something that was needed, I think,
00:25:03 when he got here, bringing a different dynamic.
00:25:05 They lose that, and I, if it wasn't for the way
00:25:08 they just got bowled over in that Saints game,
00:25:10 which was really jarring to me,
00:25:11 like I, in answering my own question off the top,
00:25:14 they just got manhandled, like just upfront,
00:25:16 steady runs, Camara, and you don't see that
00:25:18 from the defense a whole lot,
00:25:19 but let's say that they had held the Saints to 13 or 16,
00:25:22 or, you know, did a better job.
00:25:24 Do you see any risk of kind of a schism in the locker room
00:25:27 where the defense goes, hey, last year and a half,
00:25:29 we've been carrying you guys,
00:25:30 we've been holding your hand, we've been doing our part,
00:25:32 and offensively, you just have to pick it up,
00:25:35 and you haven't been, and that's why we're losing?
00:25:37 - No, I don't think so.
00:25:38 I think there's an understanding there,
00:25:40 and every team is built differently, I think,
00:25:43 probably coming into the year,
00:25:44 they probably expected, like, a little bit more
00:25:46 from the offense, but--
00:25:47 - Yeah, we all did.
00:25:48 - Yeah, yeah, but, I say, you gotta see it first, obviously,
00:25:51 so I don't think it'd be that, like,
00:25:53 every team is gonna have, like,
00:25:55 one side of the ball is gonna be a little bit more
00:25:56 of a strength than the other.
00:25:57 Obviously, this one's a little bit more drastic
00:25:59 than some others, but I think if the defense
00:26:03 could continue to, like, try and limit points
00:26:06 and give the offense more opportunities,
00:26:09 I think that's what's gonna try and, you know,
00:26:11 bode well for them, and I think the defense,
00:26:13 I thought they played a solid game.
00:26:14 I don't think, like, Derek Harden shred 'em up.
00:26:16 Kamara was running the ball really well,
00:26:18 but, I say, they had favorable field position,
00:26:20 probably the majority of the game,
00:26:22 so that plays a big factor in it, too,
00:26:24 and we spotted 'em, you know, seven points,
00:26:26 and interception, you know, and Patriot territory,
00:26:29 all that stuff, and a fumble in Patriot territory, too,
00:26:32 on the third and one, so when a team's starting
00:26:34 across the 50-yard line, you know,
00:26:37 well, at least three or four possessions,
00:26:38 I mean, yeah, you're probably gonna give up
00:26:40 some points defensively, so offense has to do
00:26:42 a better job of helping them out,
00:26:43 stop putting them in tough spots,
00:26:45 but I don't think there's gonna be any schism
00:26:47 when it comes to that.
00:26:48 I think Bill does a great job of, I said,
00:26:51 understanding the pulse of the team,
00:26:52 knowing where they're at, and I'm sure,
00:26:54 I'm sure, like, Mayo and little Bella Checker,
00:26:58 you know, they're probably emphasizing, like,
00:26:59 look, your offense, they're trying to figure out
00:27:01 over there, let's do our part to help them,
00:27:04 well, create turnovers, all that good stuff
00:27:06 to kind of get them short fields,
00:27:07 and then, whatever, we get a pick,
00:27:10 and whatever, the opponent's territory,
00:27:11 give them a short field, let 'em go score,
00:27:13 and then, okay, maybe they feel a little bit
00:27:14 more confident coming out the next drive
00:27:16 when they have to drive, you know, 80, 75 yards,
00:27:18 that type of thing, I don't think there'll be
00:27:19 any division in the locker room.
00:27:21 - All right, well, the special teams, obviously,
00:27:23 can't point to the offense, either,
00:27:24 because right now, they're ranked dead last
00:27:26 by TV White and other missed field goal partners,
00:27:28 for the rookie Chad Ryland and a bunt locker,
00:27:30 Debril, and just things are about as bad over there
00:27:33 in special teams land as they are offensively.
00:27:35 Okay, I mentioned his name earlier,
00:27:37 and, you know, we talk about Mac,
00:27:40 we talk about Bill, and who's gonna stay,
00:27:41 and who could go, what are the big changes?
00:27:44 You know, Roderick Kraft can step in any time that he wants.
00:27:48 He's not someone who tends to step in,
00:27:50 understanding that Bill Belichick
00:27:51 is the greatest coach of all time.
00:27:52 You tend to go with the greatest coach of all time
00:27:54 when it comes to decision making,
00:27:55 but Bill is also 26 and 30 over the last three-plus seasons.
00:27:59 Mac has never looked worse, in my opinion,
00:28:01 in a Patriots uniform, and I'm just curious
00:28:04 how all of this is sitting with him.
00:28:05 As someone who's benefited from patience
00:28:08 and playing the long game here,
00:28:10 I don't wanna talk about firing Bill
00:28:13 or anything close to that right yet,
00:28:14 but just knowing him as you do,
00:28:16 and as someone who's still a competitive person,
00:28:18 you know, and cutthroat when it comes
00:28:20 to business and football,
00:28:21 how do you think he's processing all this?
00:28:24 I'm not exactly sure, but, like, I know,
00:28:28 you know, I know Robert, I know Bill.
00:28:30 They both wanna win, and for them,
00:28:33 these past three years are obviously unacceptable,
00:28:36 and, you know, for themselves,
00:28:37 I know Bill's obviously not happy.
00:28:40 Kraft's not happy.
00:28:41 Jonathan Kraft's probably not happy.
00:28:43 So for me, I'm sure he wants to see,
00:28:45 you know, how the year, you know, ends up.
00:28:47 Like I said, there's still a lot to process
00:28:49 throughout the entire season.
00:28:50 There's still the potential of them, you know,
00:28:52 kind of getting back in the runnings.
00:28:53 Like we said, it's like a 5% chance of them
00:28:56 making the playoffs and all that stuff,
00:28:57 but, yeah, I mean, I'm sure they have conversations.
00:29:01 I don't know how often, but I'm sure at least once
00:29:03 or twice a week about, you know,
00:29:05 what's the state of the team and the state of the locker room,
00:29:07 like a future type of thing.
00:29:09 I mean, I never been a head coach or been an owner,
00:29:12 so I don't know how that dynamic exactly works,
00:29:15 but as an owner, you wanna see your football team winning.
00:29:18 So I said, I don't know what that looks like
00:29:21 as far as the Bill Belichick thing,
00:29:23 but I don't think he would ever fire Bill, in my opinion.
00:29:26 That would have to be something, a different situation.
00:29:28 I don't know how they would handle that,
00:29:30 but I would never see them actually firing a guy
00:29:33 like Bill Belichick.
00:29:35 - Wow.
00:29:35 Now, is just that because of his standing?
00:29:37 Because let me outline a scenario here,
00:29:39 where it's not only just that Bill's the head coach, right?
00:29:43 He's the GM, has final control,
00:29:45 say, over the entirety of the roster.
00:29:46 So whether you look at Mac and go, okay, that's his fault.
00:29:48 Let's say you're in that camp, or you go,
00:29:50 oh, it's the offensive line's fault.
00:29:51 No, they're not run blockable enough.
00:29:52 They're not pass protecting for Mac.
00:29:54 Defense isn't creating enough turnovers.
00:29:56 Bill handpicked all of those parts and put them into place.
00:30:00 And I'm not advocating for his firing.
00:30:02 I'm just outlining that when you look at it
00:30:04 from that standpoint and then go, okay,
00:30:06 they go to Vegas this Sunday, they come back against Buffalo.
00:30:09 Then you go on the road to Miami, where, you know,
00:30:11 you're from South Florida, you love Miami,
00:30:13 but it seemed like you hated playing there
00:30:15 because you guys always got punked.
00:30:17 And right now, you look at these three games,
00:30:18 the Patriots are going to be underdogs
00:30:20 in all three of those games.
00:30:22 And they don't win as underdogs with the Mac Jones
00:30:24 or haven't since you guys went to Buffalo
00:30:26 in that windstorm game.
00:30:28 So this has opened the door to a one in seven start.
00:30:31 And then Bill is 26 and 33 since Tom Brady left.
00:30:35 And I don't know how many NFL coaches,
00:30:37 even with the most sparkling resume,
00:30:39 the one responsible for the greatest 20 year run
00:30:41 in NFL history, which he deserved more equity
00:30:45 and credit than he's been given right now.
00:30:46 But we're going to do the same thing when Brady left,
00:30:48 which is come back and everyone's going to forget it.
00:30:50 And thank you for all the memories and yada, yada.
00:30:51 But right now it sucks to be Bill.
00:30:53 When you think about one in seven
00:30:55 and you think about the roster control
00:30:57 and the obvious flaws as I saw them in the off season,
00:30:59 get a right tackle, draft the number one receiver,
00:31:02 someone who can separate,
00:31:03 freaking signed DeAndre Hopkins who was in the building.
00:31:05 And they don't do any of those.
00:31:07 Bill doesn't do any of that.
00:31:08 Do you find that any more compelling?
00:31:10 'Cause it seems like the road they're headed down right now.
00:31:13 - Yeah, I mean, it definitely becomes more compelling.
00:31:15 You're a one in seven football team.
00:31:17 You struggled on offense last year.
00:31:19 Yeah, I mean, the question definitely begins
00:31:21 to be raised.
00:31:22 Like I said, I don't know how that conversation goes.
00:31:26 It's just very hard for me to see them firing a guy
00:31:30 like Bill Belichick.
00:31:30 But like, yeah, there's, I don't think,
00:31:34 I know I saw something like about tanking.
00:31:37 Bill's not into that.
00:31:38 I mean, he's going to want to go out there and win
00:31:40 whether they're one in seven, one in eight,
00:31:42 one in 10, like that's just the type of,
00:31:45 coach he is, the type of competitor that he is.
00:31:46 He wants to win.
00:31:47 I know the craps want to win.
00:31:48 Like I said, I don't know how that conversation goes.
00:31:51 I just see it hard for me to see them, let them go.
00:31:56 Like obviously if it gets like very bad,
00:31:58 like I don't know where they have a conversation like,
00:32:00 hey, like, okay, let's just scrap this year,
00:32:04 give you, whatever, a couple more years
00:32:06 trying to figure this out.
00:32:07 Like, I don't know.
00:32:08 Like, it's definitely a conversation that's going to be had
00:32:10 between fans, media, all that stuff.
00:32:12 You see it already and we're only whatever,
00:32:14 six games into the year,
00:32:16 but he still has an opportunity to kind of possibly
00:32:19 turn around, kind of hard to see, like I said,
00:32:21 but there's still a lot to play for, but yeah,
00:32:25 I'm sure the question will continue to arise
00:32:27 if they continue to lose football games.
00:32:29 - Hey guys, you know, football season being underway
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00:33:39 - All right, two quick things.
00:33:41 You mentioned tanking.
00:33:42 Let's talk about that right now
00:33:43 because I'll make, you know, my feelings
00:33:46 as someone who went on the record and said in 2020,
00:33:48 just now's the time, you know,
00:33:50 like the cap is setting up.
00:33:51 Bring back James White, first of all,
00:33:53 then go get a first round quarterback
00:33:54 at that off season in 2021.
00:33:57 But it just looked to me like the stars had aligned
00:34:00 to lose a season that was so interfered with by COVID-19.
00:34:03 You guys couldn't go anywhere anyway.
00:34:05 Ton of dead money, yada, yada, yada.
00:34:06 Didn't do it.
00:34:07 You know, they didn't do it because Bill will never do it.
00:34:09 It would, I think, offend him down to every fiber
00:34:12 in his being, his competitive soul as a football coach,
00:34:15 someone raised in a film room.
00:34:17 I'm not even kidding.
00:34:18 And has just built this world his entire life.
00:34:20 - Yeah, it'll never happen.
00:34:21 - So it'll never happen.
00:34:23 The other part about this is I just think
00:34:25 it's much more difficult than we in the media
00:34:27 make it out to be.
00:34:28 It's just say, go ahead and tank, lose.
00:34:30 You know, like we're playing on Madden
00:34:32 and you jack it up to all men
00:34:33 and you just run the ball every single play
00:34:35 and oh no, fast forward, I get to April
00:34:36 and I get to take the number one kid at the USC
00:34:38 who's gonna be a 98 in a couple of years.
00:34:40 It doesn't work that way.
00:34:41 You have a locker room to attend to,
00:34:42 grown men who are trying to make a living
00:34:45 and get more money or play out a contract here
00:34:48 and understand that winning and losing
00:34:49 makes a big impact as much as their own individual statistics
00:34:53 and to make the sell that we need to lose now
00:34:56 for some rookie who's gonna come in next year
00:34:57 who we don't know who it is yet.
00:34:59 Oh, and they might get hurt
00:35:00 or they might not be good enough.
00:35:01 Is it really one difficult to make the guys like you
00:35:04 who have a family or near the end of your careers
00:35:07 or just trying to play out one more season?
00:35:09 Did I hit it on the head?
00:35:11 Am I missing anything?
00:35:12 Tell me more about how you would feel
00:35:14 if Bill came in and said,
00:35:16 "We're gonna play the young guys and that's gonna be it."
00:35:18 - Yeah, I mean, to me, he would never do that.
00:35:21 I could never see them doing that.
00:35:23 It's just the thing I don't,
00:35:25 I never completely understand in the first place.
00:35:28 Like, obviously you're betting on guys
00:35:29 like Caleb Williams to come in
00:35:31 and transcend your entire franchise
00:35:34 for years and years to come,
00:35:35 but there's still, there's no 100% guarantee.
00:35:38 Like, I would think he's gonna be a great NFL quarterback.
00:35:41 You know, I think Marvin Harrison Jr.
00:35:42 is gonna be a great NFL receiver,
00:35:44 but there's still no 100% guarantee you can do all that.
00:35:47 And then you get Caleb Williams
00:35:49 and you're still in the same boat,
00:35:50 but he can't do it by himself.
00:35:53 So, I mean, you know what I mean?
00:35:54 So I just can't see that from this organization.
00:35:57 I couldn't see it from, you know, the crafts as well.
00:36:00 I don't think they would wanna be out there every Sunday
00:36:02 or Monday, Thursday, whatever it is,
00:36:04 losing football games to try and get a higher draft pick.
00:36:07 I think they're gonna figure out a way to turn it around.
00:36:10 I don't know, the crafts wanna see it,
00:36:12 Bill wanna see it,
00:36:13 the players in the locker room wanna see it.
00:36:15 I say, you don't wanna show up to work, you know,
00:36:17 as a veteran player,
00:36:18 knowing that, like, they're not putting their best foot forward
00:36:22 so that somebody's gonna come
00:36:23 and potentially replace you the next year
00:36:25 when you're trying to provide for your family
00:36:27 and all that good stuff,
00:36:28 and you're trying to, whatever,
00:36:30 fight for your next contract
00:36:31 because you don't know exactly
00:36:33 when your career's gonna be over.
00:36:34 So, yeah, the taking thing,
00:36:35 I just don't see that flying, you know,
00:36:37 within that organization.
00:36:40 I mean, I've never been to any other organization.
00:36:42 Maybe that does happen in some form or fashion,
00:36:44 but yeah, I don't, I can't see that.
00:36:48 - How would you react, though, quickly?
00:36:49 Like, say you're still in the locker room
00:36:51 playing out your last year,
00:36:52 you're in the captain's meetings whenever you,
00:36:53 you know, the captains meet with Bill every single week,
00:36:57 he gives a speech, we're rolling with the kids,
00:36:58 and then you have to come up and talk to him.
00:37:01 What would you say?
00:37:03 - That's a bull.
00:37:03 (laughs)
00:37:04 No, no, I mean, I wouldn't,
00:37:06 like I said, as a competitor,
00:37:08 like I'm not, like I'm not having that for me.
00:37:11 I mean, I don't know how anybody else will react,
00:37:13 but yeah, I'm going out there, like I said,
00:37:15 I wanna put my best foot forward,
00:37:17 whether we're, like I said, one and 10,
00:37:18 one and seven, one and three, whatever it is,
00:37:20 I wanna put my best foot forward regardless.
00:37:22 Like I said, everybody is there for a reason.
00:37:25 As a coach, like you wanna win football games,
00:37:27 it's good for you, and as a player,
00:37:28 you wanna win and compete as hard as you possibly can.
00:37:31 You wanna put nothing but as much good tape
00:37:33 out there as possible, and if you're out there,
00:37:36 you know, not trying to have a great game plan
00:37:39 or not trying your best out there,
00:37:40 that's not gonna help you going forward.
00:37:42 - Yeah, and then it's, your tape is your living resume,
00:37:45 so that's bad tape.
00:37:46 That doesn't help you, even if you need to go
00:37:48 get a new job, somebody else,
00:37:49 because those front offices are looking, going,
00:37:51 this stinks, he was parting with bad offense,
00:37:52 and it just, it just kind of spreads.
00:37:54 - You gotta look at your most recent tape,
00:37:56 I mean, you're only, this is your last game, so.
00:37:59 - All right, I said I had two things,
00:38:00 and we're gonna get to mailbag,
00:38:01 where you're gonna attack this as like a joint
00:38:03 therapy session for all the fans who are very upset.
00:38:05 But the one thing, it's very small,
00:38:07 and it feels very unlikely, but everything is on the table
00:38:10 when you have the worst rushing offense
00:38:12 and the worst passing offense in the league.
00:38:14 And Bill, I think, knows he's coaching for his job,
00:38:17 in my opinion.
00:38:18 - Yeah.
00:38:19 - Quarterback position was something they dabbled with
00:38:22 in rotating in one Malik Cunningham
00:38:24 during the preseason in training camp.
00:38:25 And what looked like, to me at the time,
00:38:27 maybe a goal line or red zone package
00:38:31 where he's introducing some more option runs,
00:38:33 things that they haven't run before,
00:38:35 at least since camp, but were this summer.
00:38:38 We haven't seen Malik Cunningham at all,
00:38:40 'cause you're not gonna find a quarterback
00:38:41 on the open market.
00:38:42 Even if you do, they're gonna need to learn the offense,
00:38:43 and that's why Will Greer basically
00:38:45 is in the backup right now.
00:38:46 - Yeah.
00:38:47 - What do you think of at least Malik Cunningham
00:38:49 playing part-time as kind of a change-up,
00:38:51 knowing, okay, we thought we hit rock bottom,
00:38:54 and we didn't, but either way,
00:38:56 what do we have to lose at this point?
00:38:58 - Yeah, I mean, I think everything's on the table
00:38:59 at this point.
00:39:00 Like, we saw where he could potentially be
00:39:02 as a quarterback or a potential, whatever, receiver,
00:39:06 kind of change-of-pace quarterback,
00:39:07 like a Taysom Hill type of thing during the preseason.
00:39:10 Let's see, I can see that definitely being a viable option,
00:39:12 but I just know, for Bill Belichick,
00:39:15 each roster spot on game day is very important to him.
00:39:18 For Malik to have to come in there and get that role,
00:39:21 he's gonna have to play on special teams as well,
00:39:23 whether it's Gunner, you know,
00:39:25 playing on punt return, holding up guys.
00:39:27 He's gonna have to do a little bit more
00:39:28 than just that package,
00:39:30 but I think that'll be a good thing,
00:39:31 give teams a little bit of something
00:39:33 to actually prepare for,
00:39:35 'cause he's willing and able to throw the football as well,
00:39:37 too, probably better than Taysom Hill, in my opinion.
00:39:40 (laughing)
00:39:42 - Yeah, it's a bad day for me,
00:39:44 'cause I can't clown Taysom Hill
00:39:45 in the way that I have historically.
00:39:46 I mean, good for him.
00:39:47 That contract should go into the football business
00:39:49 hall of fame for what he's done,
00:39:51 and he's also stiff-arming, you know,
00:39:52 kind of your friend and mine, Adrian Phillips,
00:39:54 for a little bit, and had a very good game,
00:39:55 but I'm with you, not threatened by Taysom Hill, the passer,
00:39:58 but I wouldn't be surprised.
00:40:00 I mean, we have a lot to learn.
00:40:01 I said up the top, this is just Monday night.
00:40:03 Tuesday could bring sweeping changes.
00:40:05 I don't know anything for sure,
00:40:06 but like, you know, you're not even in the red zone yet,
00:40:10 so you might as well just have the threat of a guy
00:40:11 with four or five speed to kind of get in the edge
00:40:13 and maybe create something.
00:40:15 Okay, mailbag time.
00:40:16 Everyone is here laying on my couch that you cannot see,
00:40:18 and I've referenced that for two episodes
00:40:19 as a visual medium that no one cares about.
00:40:22 Right now we have Megan, we have Ashley
00:40:23 sitting right here next to us,
00:40:25 and they're asking similar questions.
00:40:27 If the Patriots become sellers,
00:40:29 which I can only imagine, you know, as we discussed,
00:40:31 you're one and seven, the trade deadline
00:40:33 is after that road game against Miami on the 29th,
00:40:36 which players on the roster they want to know,
00:40:38 could you see being traded?
00:40:40 Yeah, I mean, I don't know.
00:40:44 Like I said, I've never really been in this type of position.
00:40:48 Typically it's us trying to add somebody to the team
00:40:51 to try and help us get to the, you know, playoffs
00:40:54 or make it to the Super Bowl.
00:40:55 So yeah, I don't know who would be a guy
00:40:59 that they would try and sell.
00:41:00 Maybe one of their receivers, potentially.
00:41:02 Like, I don't know, but I mean,
00:41:04 who's trying to get somebody from a one
00:41:07 in whatever football team, if that's the case.
00:41:09 So like, I don't know.
00:41:11 Who's going to be that interested,
00:41:12 or what is Bill trying to get?
00:41:14 Is he trying to get draft capital?
00:41:15 For me, he's the type of guy who's just trying
00:41:18 to improve the football team for that year.
00:41:20 So I don't think he's going to really try
00:41:22 and trade a potentially good football player
00:41:25 to try and whatever, get a draft pick.
00:41:29 I don't really see that.
00:41:30 - Yeah, it's a tough question because even,
00:41:33 you know, I mentioned 2020 is the year I said, go tank.
00:41:36 And I think it was that season, correct me if I'm wrong.
00:41:39 Isaiah Ford, who's traded up from Miami.
00:41:43 - Yeah.
00:41:44 - Yeah, and so that's a season where we're going like,
00:41:46 okay, probably not going too far here.
00:41:48 He gets moved up, doesn't even play a game for you guys.
00:41:51 You know, a receiver cast off.
00:41:53 And I was kind of looking at Cedric Wilson
00:41:54 in this last episode,
00:41:55 but he has four catches for Miami this weekend.
00:41:58 And 'cause they just got Chase Claypool.
00:42:00 But as far as players being traded off the roster,
00:42:02 the difficulty with this is not only which is you outlined
00:42:04 of a coach on the hot seat needs to improve his roster.
00:42:07 Can't do that by offloading some of his better players,
00:42:09 which are the only ones that are going to fetch
00:42:11 any assets in return.
00:42:13 But you don't have that many assets to begin with.
00:42:15 And the ones that you do have are in contract years.
00:42:18 And you mentioned receivers.
00:42:19 I would look at Kendrick Bourne
00:42:20 as someone who they took calls on last year.
00:42:23 There were multiple teams in the AFC and NSC
00:42:25 and a couple contenders in the AFC,
00:42:26 I think would come calling again.
00:42:28 He's in the last year of his deal.
00:42:30 Very team-friendly deal.
00:42:32 Another player, Josh Uche, young rising pass rusher.
00:42:35 Very, very valuable,
00:42:36 especially in the old role that he had
00:42:38 before Saturday or Sunday.
00:42:39 He's someone entering a contract year.
00:42:42 So that's going to depress the value
00:42:44 that they could fetch in return.
00:42:45 It's not going to be a second round pick
00:42:46 for either one of those guys or a third round pick
00:42:48 because of the team that trades for them
00:42:50 knows they probably need to sign Josh Uche
00:42:52 or Kendrick Bourne after the season.
00:42:54 And you could talk about Trent Brown,
00:42:55 another contract year.
00:42:56 Hunter Henry, contract year.
00:42:58 Some of your better players in positions
00:42:59 that are a little too thin.
00:43:00 And that's the issue with the roster that you have now
00:43:02 is it's not good enough to win.
00:43:03 It's not good enough to sell off.
00:43:04 So those two players would be the ones
00:43:07 that I would keep in mind.
00:43:09 But if they do swing a deal,
00:43:11 like you're thinking, where they add to the roster,
00:43:13 it would have to be a similar deal that we just saw.
00:43:16 Where again, you're not selling anyone off
00:43:18 like Megan and Ashley are asking,
00:43:20 but you're doing a pick swap deal
00:43:22 that netted JC Jackson in return.
00:43:24 And there are just very few players that fit that mold.
00:43:27 We trust him, we know him, and he's been here before.
00:43:30 And we go back around as opposed to giving up a pick.
00:43:34 I mean, is there anyone across the league
00:43:35 that you look at and go,
00:43:37 okay, maybe he doesn't check all of those boxes,
00:43:39 but would fit here in a way that could help them
00:43:42 moving forward if they're not one in seven,
00:43:43 but maybe three in five.
00:43:45 - For a free agent, I know Lyle Collins,
00:43:49 he's a free agent, right?
00:43:49 That's a guy who I would love to see,
00:43:51 obviously get him in, play tackle.
00:43:54 I think that would be huge for the football team.
00:43:57 Anybody else that'd be able to-
00:43:59 - Any trade targets?
00:44:00 I mean, then we're talking about like,
00:44:02 in the AFC, maybe the Broncos,
00:44:03 if they decide to sell,
00:44:04 everyone's gonna bring up Jerry and Judy, but you're-
00:44:07 - Yeah, I don't think that makes that much of a difference
00:44:09 for the offense.
00:44:11 I think Judy's a good football player,
00:44:12 but I don't think that changes much of their concerns.
00:44:16 Yeah, it's hard to say.
00:44:20 Bill's never been like that crazy of a person.
00:44:22 Like you would see, like, we traded like Jamie one year.
00:44:25 I think, what did we trade?
00:44:26 Chandler, did we trade Chandler during the season
00:44:28 or that during the off season?
00:44:29 - That was Jamie, yeah, Chandler was off season.
00:44:31 - Off season.
00:44:32 Yeah, it's very, very rare.
00:44:34 I mean, unless guys like,
00:44:36 I know we've gotten like Josh Gore and Antonio Brown,
00:44:38 like during the season, that type of thing.
00:44:41 Maybe if a guy like that potentially talented
00:44:44 becomes available at that time,
00:44:45 maybe he makes a trade like that
00:44:48 to try and boost the team.
00:44:50 But I guess it just depends on,
00:44:52 what's their record come week eight, that type of thing.
00:44:55 Do they feel like they're still competitive?
00:44:57 Like, what is that?
00:44:58 I think that plays a big factor too.
00:45:00 - Again, we have a lot of questions.
00:45:04 I wanna get to them quickly,
00:45:05 but you mentioned Antonio Brown
00:45:06 and I do not remember the 11 days
00:45:10 that he was in New England, very fondly,
00:45:12 in case I do not remember them well at all.
00:45:14 Can you share any story from that time?
00:45:18 We can even just stick to practice
00:45:19 because it can actually have a time.
00:45:20 And I know you're laughing.
00:45:21 So I'm trying to help you,
00:45:23 lead you through here, the minefield
00:45:24 that is Antonio Brown discussions and stories.
00:45:27 But I had heard from someone at the time
00:45:30 that practice was so good,
00:45:31 the connection between Brady and Antonio Brown,
00:45:34 that Bill had essentially had to say, stop.
00:45:36 Like just throw somewhere else with the defense.
00:45:38 Is that true?
00:45:39 Or is there anything like that you can share?
00:45:41 - I mean, the connection was there pretty quickly.
00:45:44 And you can see why,
00:45:46 like he was an all pro and all that stuff.
00:45:48 He was that type of dude.
00:45:50 Like you can just extremely talented.
00:45:53 I know like what everybody sees right now,
00:45:55 like all that stuff off the field.
00:45:57 - Yeah, not great.
00:45:58 - Yeah, but on the field,
00:46:00 puts in the work,
00:46:01 like goes hard every single time he catches the pass,
00:46:04 he's taken to the end zone, coming back,
00:46:06 wants to catch another pass again.
00:46:07 So like, he's definitely that type of dude.
00:46:10 He's that guy on the football field.
00:46:11 Like obviously he's a wild boy,
00:46:14 off the field, he's gonna do his thing.
00:46:15 He's about himself,
00:46:17 but I say, you put them between those lines,
00:46:20 he's a problem in a good way.
00:46:22 - Okay, so you guys have heard me talk a fair amount
00:46:27 about betting on this podcast,
00:46:28 giving you some advice,
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00:47:52 I'd call that a winning bet.
00:47:55 - Do you remember any moment for practice or play
00:47:58 in particular where they were carving up in 11s?
00:48:00 - I don't know if I remember any play specifically,
00:48:07 but I know he called like a deep pass during practice
00:48:09 and just everybody's like, "Hey!"
00:48:12 He's a true brother.
00:48:13 A funny story though, like when the defensive period
00:48:16 was up, like offensive players,
00:48:19 like the guys who were like whatever,
00:48:21 player starters or whatnot,
00:48:23 kind of just sit back and watch type of thing.
00:48:25 And Antonio Brown and like Philidor said,
00:48:27 they were talking a little bit.
00:48:29 And they were like practicing like dances
00:48:32 for when one of them scored touchdown,
00:48:34 Josh was like, "Let's not do that.
00:48:36 "Let's not do that right now."
00:48:38 He was preparing for the game,
00:48:39 trying to get all his handshakes and dances ready to go.
00:48:44 He's definitely entertaining 100%.
00:48:47 - That's a hell of a way to arrive.
00:48:48 It's just planning, not only am I planning to score,
00:48:50 this is I'm going to celebrate after the fact.
00:48:52 First impression with Josh McDaniels.
00:48:54 Boy, oh boy.
00:48:55 Okay, enough Antonio Brown.
00:48:57 Cam wants to know, quote,
00:48:58 "Any way Mac and Bill are both back for next year?"
00:49:01 Personally, this is Cam,
00:49:02 I think the offensive line or a skilled player
00:49:05 would be a better pick than a quarterback,
00:49:07 unless it's Caleb Williams.
00:49:08 He mentions Brock Bowers and Harrison,
00:49:10 which I have to assume is Marvin Harrison Jr.
00:49:12 What do you think, Mac and Bill,
00:49:16 are they both back next year?
00:49:17 - I think so.
00:49:18 I think they'll both be back.
00:49:19 Just depends.
00:49:22 I think Mac will be back.
00:49:23 Depends how he performs,
00:49:24 from right now through the rest of the season.
00:49:27 I mean, they'll definitely,
00:49:28 I can see them still bringing in draft or somebody,
00:49:31 sign a free agent, that type of thing.
00:49:33 And like I said, whether it's a competition,
00:49:35 whether maybe that guy ends up being the guy
00:49:38 based off his contract, that type of thing.
00:49:39 But I definitely see Mac and Bill
00:49:42 being back there next year.
00:49:43 I said, it just depends how he performs
00:49:45 throughout the rest of the season.
00:49:46 He has to be a lot better,
00:49:47 lot, lot better than what he is right now.
00:49:49 I said, I think he has it in him to be.
00:49:52 So I think he has to get out of his own way.
00:49:54 I think that's the biggest thing.
00:49:56 - Does that mean turnovers,
00:49:57 or does that mean anything kind of locker room
00:49:59 or leadership related?
00:50:01 - No, I think it's turnovers,
00:50:03 not even just turnovers,
00:50:03 just getting back to themselves,
00:50:05 just going through your progressions,
00:50:06 trusting the play calling, that type of thing.
00:50:08 Just, I say, yeah, he has happy feet right now.
00:50:10 Like he gets to the top of his drop
00:50:12 and you can see it in his feet.
00:50:14 He's uncomfortable, which is, like I said,
00:50:16 which is understandable based off the way
00:50:17 that the offensive line has been protected for him.
00:50:20 But like I said,
00:50:21 like you're gonna get some pressure sometimes.
00:50:23 You just have to be able to stand in there
00:50:24 and still go through your process.
00:50:25 And like I said, if there's nothing there,
00:50:26 don't try and be too creative and try and force something.
00:50:30 It hasn't worked so far
00:50:31 and this is gonna continue not to work
00:50:33 as the year goes on.
00:50:35 - Yeah, for my money,
00:50:36 I don't think Mack is back next year
00:50:38 and maybe I'm doing prisoner of the moment thing.
00:50:40 I just, it's been unpleasant and strong,
00:50:45 but Mack and Bailey competing as they have been
00:50:48 or jockeying for the job has been pretty icy.
00:50:50 I think in the locker room
00:50:51 and snippets we've gotten on TV between the two of them.
00:50:54 And I don't know how Mack would deal with being,
00:50:57 you know, a backup or fighting for his job again,
00:50:59 particularly against another rookie.
00:51:00 I think we'd certainly want another opportunity
00:51:02 to go out to her because again, he's a pocket bound guy.
00:51:04 When you have the worst pass protecting line in league,
00:51:06 granted it's only week five, heading into week six.
00:51:09 I just don't know how that's gonna instantly
00:51:10 be remedied and upgraded.
00:51:11 And I think if the Patriots go,
00:51:13 if this is Bill's back and it could be his last year,
00:51:16 he goes, I need someone better
00:51:17 if I'm gonna get this Don Shula record.
00:51:20 But we are a ways from away from that.
00:51:21 I mean, it's very cloudy.
00:51:22 I think the future is we stand there
00:51:23 as it always is in October.
00:51:24 Who knows what's gonna happen next month
00:51:26 or in a couple of weeks from now,
00:51:27 because two weeks from yesterday, you know,
00:51:31 going into Dallas is like, they could win two and two,
00:51:33 completely cease and change and win.
00:51:35 And lo and behold, they're lower than they've ever been.
00:51:37 All right, H C wants to know,
00:51:40 quote, what are a few things they can do
00:51:41 to help the offensive line?
00:51:43 One fewer tight end and an extra offensive lineman,
00:51:45 the old jumbo package.
00:51:46 What do you think?
00:51:48 - I think using both tight ends.
00:51:50 That's what I thought they were gonna be doing a lot,
00:51:52 you know, coming to this year,
00:51:53 12 personnel creating kind of mismatches on defense.
00:51:56 How do they, how do defense wanna match up against that?
00:51:58 You know, dime, nickel, regular personnel,
00:52:01 getting the backs, you know,
00:52:02 matched up on linebackers, that type of thing.
00:52:05 You know, using some tempo, which I mean,
00:52:07 in order to use tempo, you gotta have positive plays.
00:52:09 I haven't been too many, you know,
00:52:10 positive plays in that situation.
00:52:12 And maybe just a little bit more,
00:52:14 I know coming into the year,
00:52:15 I thought they're gonna have a little bit more
00:52:16 of the RPO game, kind of in there,
00:52:18 kind of get the ball to, you know,
00:52:20 guys like Juju is good right after the catch.
00:52:22 KB is good right after the catch for Mondre.
00:52:25 Is good right after the catch.
00:52:26 Those type of guys, just get them the ball quickly
00:52:29 and as soon as possible, less pressure,
00:52:31 you know, on the offense alignments
00:52:33 to sit up there and try and hold up for, you know,
00:52:35 three, four seconds every time on a drop back.
00:52:37 But like I said, it's hard to do that type of stuff
00:52:39 when you're down 16-0, 21-0,
00:52:42 it kind of, a lot of that stuff goes out the window.
00:52:44 It's hard to call plays that way.
00:52:45 So, but that's the things I think
00:52:47 they can try and use to improve.
00:52:49 It's just playing with more energy.
00:52:50 Like I said, from the beginning of the game,
00:52:53 I said, I wanna see those guys like talking
00:52:54 to one another, see that kind of connection,
00:52:56 pushing one another, you know,
00:52:58 they had a good first play of the game this past week.
00:53:00 Then after that, it was like, nothing, nothing really else.
00:53:02 Like after that first play, let's go,
00:53:04 like let's get it going, get back on the ball,
00:53:06 get the first down, you know,
00:53:07 they'll take a shot in the next play.
00:53:08 Like, I wanna see that type of, you know,
00:53:11 like I said, not just throwing the ball down
00:53:12 on the field, everybody, just some type of aggression
00:53:14 from the line, you know, tight ends, backs, receivers,
00:53:17 whether it's aggression on winning your routes,
00:53:20 like, obviously I'm sure they hear, you know,
00:53:22 everybody's saying like they create the least,
00:53:25 you know, separation, you know, across the entire league.
00:53:27 Take it personal, like take it personal.
00:53:29 Like you guys have the ability to control that yourselves,
00:53:32 like the coach ain't gonna run the route for you,
00:53:33 you get to do it, so let's go out there
00:53:36 and win that match and let's create more separation.
00:53:38 Let's make it easier on my quarterback,
00:53:40 like that type of thing.
00:53:41 - Yeah, well, they had it earlier in the season,
00:53:43 good friend, Mike Giardi, friend of the podcast,
00:53:45 I'm sure you remember.
00:53:46 - Yep, yep.
00:53:47 - Stink, stink, stunk was the line he used
00:53:49 after coming to train at camp practicing.
00:53:52 I hate to break it to the Patriots receivers,
00:53:54 but Mike is looking pretty good with that phrase,
00:53:57 but they got time, plenty of season,
00:53:59 no one is here to rag on them,
00:54:00 it's just that was his assessment.
00:54:01 He put it in a certain way, they threw it in his face,
00:54:03 and now he is the one smiling.
00:54:05 Okay, as far as my suggestion for the offensive line,
00:54:08 I don't know how much more they can do.
00:54:09 Like I think your point about they need more time together
00:54:12 is probably the best one, because, you know,
00:54:14 Bill O'Brien has been running quick game since preseason,
00:54:17 tons of screens, it's not working.
00:54:19 The longer developing pass plays, he called play action,
00:54:21 I think of Max's first two dropbacks,
00:54:23 good idea, more play action.
00:54:24 Didn't work, Max just missed it.
00:54:27 And I think they tried to incorporate
00:54:28 some pin and pull runs, which got Trent Brown out in front,
00:54:32 David Andrews was pulling a little bit.
00:54:34 In order to do that for the pull part,
00:54:36 you need a tight end to pin the play side defensive end
00:54:40 to hold him inside so you can get those linemen
00:54:42 looping around him to lead block.
00:54:44 Pharoah Brown was asked to do that.
00:54:45 That's the right guy in the Patriots tight end's room
00:54:47 to ask him to block, six foot six, 265 pounds,
00:54:50 rocked up, couldn't do it.
00:54:51 Those plays went absolutely nowhere.
00:54:54 And part of the reason they're not incorporating
00:54:57 more RPOs from what I can see, James,
00:54:59 is they're seeing a ton of cover one.
00:55:01 So when you're trying to get that overhang defender,
00:55:05 the one who's kind of caught between run and pass conflict,
00:55:07 do I need to come in for a run, drop back in his own?
00:55:09 He's just playing man.
00:55:10 - They matched up, yeah.
00:55:12 - Right, right?
00:55:12 I mean, they're seeing a ton of cover one.
00:55:14 Do you see the same thing?
00:55:15 'Cause you're not running RPOs under that.
00:55:16 - I mean, you're gonna see a bunch of cover one
00:55:18 if your receivers can't get it.
00:55:19 I'm not giving you easy access throws.
00:55:22 So if you can't create a lot of separation,
00:55:24 if you can't throw the football, I have no problem
00:55:27 leaving my corners out there one-on-one with your receivers,
00:55:30 see if you can make the throw.
00:55:32 I'm gonna make it tough on your quarterback.
00:55:33 I'm not giving you anything easy.
00:55:34 So they're gonna see a lot more of that
00:55:36 until they start to win in that coverage.
00:55:38 - Yeah, so long short of it, I got nothing, I'm sorry.
00:55:42 (laughing)
00:55:44 They're trying the tight ends.
00:55:47 - Sometimes it's just be better.
00:55:49 Like it doesn't have to be like a scheme thing.
00:55:51 It doesn't have to be whatever, some motivational speech.
00:55:53 You just simply have to be better.
00:55:55 And that's just what it is at this point.
00:55:58 - Yeah.
00:55:59 - Like, yeah, go ahead.
00:56:00 - All right, Gary is asking,
00:56:02 throw out all the preseason expectations.
00:56:05 And please personally throw mine out the furthest,
00:56:07 but I am telling you to spend your own money
00:56:09 on the Patriots over eight and a half wins for the season,
00:56:11 possibly make it to the playoffs.
00:56:13 Throw that one as far as possible.
00:56:15 Doing that, Gary wants to know what is one thing
00:56:17 you need to see from this team
00:56:18 starting today to consider the rest of the season a success?
00:56:23 - I kind of talked about a little bit earlier,
00:56:26 just stop turning the football over on offense.
00:56:28 That's, like I said, that's something that,
00:56:31 you know, Bill would say, he talks about it ad nauseam.
00:56:34 Like you don't turn, like you said,
00:56:36 he said in this press conference,
00:56:37 if you don't turn the football over,
00:56:39 the Patriots win over 90% of their football games.
00:56:42 So that's first and foremost.
00:56:44 And I said, just get out of your own way.
00:56:46 Like I said, Bill always talks about playing bad football.
00:56:50 Like you can't win until you keep from losing.
00:56:52 And most games are, you know, lost and they are won.
00:56:55 They've lost all the games that they've played in.
00:56:57 They literally lost.
00:56:58 And the other team hasn't,
00:56:59 I mean, obviously they play some good football teams,
00:57:01 but I think it's been more of themselves
00:57:02 than what the other team has done.
00:57:04 And they've been right in there with, you know,
00:57:06 the Eagles, the Dolphins, the Cowboys,
00:57:08 obviously, you know, dismantled them, but-
00:57:10 - How far away does that opener feel?
00:57:12 Like, I was thinking about that today,
00:57:14 like walking to get a drink of water
00:57:15 as I'm finishing up film.
00:57:16 And I'm like, did that really happen?
00:57:18 Were they that close to beating the Eagles?
00:57:21 - Yeah, I mean, it seems like so long ago,
00:57:24 seemed like it wasn't quite real.
00:57:25 Yeah, they were that close, man.
00:57:27 Like I said, they win just one of those football games.
00:57:30 Maybe they're a little bit more confident
00:57:31 kind of going forward, but yeah, man, from the,
00:57:34 I just need to see them protect the football.
00:57:37 Like I said, I said, protect the football.
00:57:39 Nothing's there.
00:57:40 Just like live to fight another play.
00:57:41 Hopefully, you have a good enough defense
00:57:43 that can get you stops, can get you the ball back,
00:57:45 you know, a few more times.
00:57:46 This, just handle it that way.
00:57:48 Like it's hard to see, like I said,
00:57:49 like not just the turnovers,
00:57:51 the opponent scoring off of them and all that stuff too.
00:57:54 That's draining, it's exhausting.
00:57:56 Like it's demoralizing for an offense.
00:57:58 - I would say seven and 10,
00:58:01 'cause right there is a 500 record the rest of the way.
00:58:05 You end up kind of splitting the difference
00:58:07 with the preseason expectations anyway,
00:58:09 some positive momentum.
00:58:11 I mean, that's gonna have to include a win over Buffalo,
00:58:14 who you're gonna see twice, Miami,
00:58:15 who you're gonna see, Kansas City's on the schedule too.
00:58:17 You go on the road to Pittsburgh,
00:58:18 like you split the rest of those games.
00:58:21 You're gonna be one of those teams
00:58:22 and you'll have a signature win,
00:58:23 which is something you've not had
00:58:25 in the last couple of seasons,
00:58:26 aside from the Buffalo windstorm game.
00:58:27 So I'll just put it in terms of win and loss,
00:58:29 which of course you do need to stop turning the football over
00:58:31 but I'm not gonna hand out trophies for like,
00:58:33 hey, you've got your turnover differential to zero.
00:58:35 And of course like other trophies
00:58:37 are outside of the realm of possibility right now,
00:58:39 but it's hard to see it that way because you're right.
00:58:42 Like again, before you get to winning,
00:58:43 before you get to my thing,
00:58:45 you need to get to your thing,
00:58:46 stop losing and then you can start winning
00:58:48 and maybe go 500.
00:58:49 All right, last one, this is a multi-parter.
00:58:52 It's from 603 Patriots
00:58:54 and then someone who goes by K, Haworth,
00:58:57 talking about the next head coach.
00:58:59 So they're in a place where you can't even envision yet,
00:59:01 but they wanna know,
00:59:03 is Gerard Mayo guaranteed to be the next head coach
00:59:05 whenever they move on from Bill?
00:59:06 So maybe this is a couple of years from now.
00:59:08 Or do you think an outside hire
00:59:09 like Lions offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson,
00:59:11 would be more realistic?
00:59:12 Second part of this is,
00:59:14 okay, why wait to make a change
00:59:16 if they believe in Mayo now?
00:59:18 - That's kinda hard to say.
00:59:22 Like I said, it's not quite what I envisioned just yet,
00:59:25 but like if for me as of right now,
00:59:28 I would say the next heir apparent would be Mayo.
00:59:32 He's a guy who's played in the organization,
00:59:33 who's obviously had a good relationship with Bill,
00:59:36 good relationship with Kraft.
00:59:37 He's still pretty young,
00:59:39 can connect with the players, all that type of thing.
00:59:41 He's a guy who can motivate players.
00:59:43 So I can definitely see that.
00:59:46 And the second part is like, why wait?
00:59:48 Is what they said.
00:59:49 - Yeah, and I'm with you.
00:59:51 Everything I've talked to,
00:59:52 or people I've talked to,
00:59:53 things that I know are...
00:59:55 Don't wanna get aggregated.
01:00:00 There are people in the building
01:00:03 who feel very comfortable saying Gerard Mayo
01:00:05 will be the next head coach of the Patriots.
01:00:07 - Yeah.
01:00:08 - Like I said, I don't...
01:00:09 - It's not crazy on the outside.
01:00:11 - Very realistic, like I said,
01:00:12 but there's so much more that goes into it.
01:00:15 Like does another certain person come available
01:00:18 that whatever the crafts may,
01:00:21 kind of have a lot of respect for all that stuff
01:00:23 that a lot of things get thrown on the table.
01:00:25 And does Mayo get a different head coaching job
01:00:28 before the coaching job becomes available?
01:00:31 So there's a lot that can happen between that point.
01:00:33 And I said, they said, why not?
01:00:36 Or why wait to make a coaching change?
01:00:38 Like, come on.
01:00:39 Like I know this is our fan base there.
01:00:42 I said, I hate to say it, but they're spoiled.
01:00:44 We won a lot over the last 20 years.
01:00:47 And like I said, we've been losing whatever
01:00:49 the last three years and whatnot.
01:00:51 But like I said, this is what the NFL is.
01:00:53 Like I said, the Patriots have been in a unique category.
01:00:57 Like there's a few organizations
01:00:59 that have been in that category
01:01:00 where you're in the playoffs every single year.
01:01:02 You're fighting for a championship every single year.
01:01:04 But sometimes there's gonna be a time
01:01:06 where you're losing football games
01:01:07 and you just kinda, it takes a couple of years
01:01:09 to kinda figure it out.
01:01:10 Like I said, it's a unique position for Bill to be in.
01:01:14 It's a unique position for the Crafts to be in.
01:01:16 They haven't been in that in a long time.
01:01:18 But like I said, they still have, I feel like,
01:01:21 to me, like a year or two to try and sort it out.
01:01:23 And then, yeah, we'll figure it out from there.
01:01:26 - Woo!
01:01:28 (laughing)
01:01:29 You're right.
01:01:30 It's hard for people to hear.
01:01:32 You're frustrated.
01:01:33 Like no team would wanna take those two
01:01:36 poundings that they did from the Cowboys and the Saints.
01:01:39 - It's hard.
01:01:40 - Games that were six point spread down in Dallas.
01:01:44 And this was one and a half
01:01:45 and the Patriots were favored at home.
01:01:46 I can't imagine they're gonna be favorites
01:01:47 any time moving up.
01:01:48 But it's, you would think it's in the deer
01:01:52 and then it keeps getting larger.
01:01:53 So as far as Mayo, like I would only see that
01:01:55 if they do go to one and eight, one and nine.
01:01:57 And there's some sort of like real issue
01:01:58 with the locker room schism
01:01:59 and the Crafts know what they wanna do.
01:02:01 And I look at this as the loss season.
01:02:03 You might as well give Gerard a headstart
01:02:05 on the end of the year.
01:02:06 And the issue then becomes, what do you do?
01:02:08 A roster control?
01:02:09 Because like Bill's, you know,
01:02:11 I don't think Gerard would take over
01:02:13 the current front office
01:02:14 and let Macro keep doing, you know, those duties.
01:02:16 Like there's a lot more involved in this
01:02:18 versus just kind of installing the new guy.
01:02:20 And we know Craft is not a fan
01:02:21 of making mid-season changes.
01:02:23 Not that of course he's had to be confronted
01:02:25 with that decision very often.
01:02:27 - Yeah.
01:02:28 To me, that would never happen during the season.
01:02:30 For me, like I could, I mean, obviously I'm no genius.
01:02:34 When it comes to that, I can almost guarantee
01:02:37 that they don't do it during the season.
01:02:39 If they did that, that would shock me
01:02:41 like more than anything I've ever seen in football.
01:02:45 But I said, there's a lot of respect between like the two.
01:02:48 Like I said, like I said,
01:02:50 I'm sure they're having a conversation at this point
01:02:52 and trying to figure things out how to right this shit.
01:02:54 But I highly doubt, you know, anything like drastic
01:02:58 like that happens this year.
01:03:00 - That's good to know.
01:03:01 Look, you've spent more time in that building
01:03:02 than anyone listening to this,
01:03:04 anyone who's talking right now.
01:03:05 And so you win, Jake White, on that front.
01:03:09 Just really quickly on Gerard
01:03:10 and then we'll get you out of here.
01:03:12 You know, we know how well respected he is in the locker room.
01:03:16 He's charismatic, he's smart, he played there,
01:03:18 understands the system.
01:03:19 And I think part of the Crafts
01:03:20 want to keep the system in place
01:03:22 and just kind of modernize it whenever Bill moves on
01:03:24 or kind of tweak things here and there.
01:03:26 What can you tell us about Gerard
01:03:28 just being in that building with him
01:03:30 specifically when he came back as a coach
01:03:32 that you think, aside from the things I mentioned,
01:03:35 charismatic, been there, natural leader, smart,
01:03:38 that will make him a good head coach one day
01:03:40 if it's likely in New England
01:03:41 or maybe as you mentioned somewhere else?
01:03:43 - I think he's very personable.
01:03:45 He knows, like I said,
01:03:46 I know he knows how to connect with people.
01:03:48 So I feel like he'd be able to connect
01:03:50 with each and every player on the roster.
01:03:53 I said, a lot of stuff that you said,
01:03:54 he knows the game, he's been there.
01:03:56 Like I said, he knows the Crafts, that type of thing.
01:03:58 He's, I said, he's everything you would want
01:04:00 in probably a younger head football coach.
01:04:03 And he's loud.
01:04:04 Like I said, he's very loud.
01:04:08 He knows how to get his point across.
01:04:10 Like I said, I think he'd be great as a head coach.
01:04:12 Obviously he's gotten some interviews already
01:04:15 and I'm sure he's probably blown some people away.
01:04:18 Him just being in coaching, what, like, I don't know,
01:04:20 like four years now, five years,
01:04:22 I don't know how long it's been,
01:04:23 but yeah, he's everything you would want.
01:04:26 And I said, I think he knows how to motivate people.
01:04:28 He knows how to get people going.
01:04:30 He'll definitely bring the energy.
01:04:32 You know, not every, not every coach is kind of,
01:04:34 kind of like that, bringing the energy on.
01:04:36 They basically, he'll definitely, you know,
01:04:38 bring that type of thing.
01:04:39 To me, he'll be kind of like,
01:04:40 kind of like a Vrabel in a sense.
01:04:42 Like they bring energy,
01:04:43 they're gonna like interact with the players
01:04:45 during practice, that type of thing.
01:04:47 And just find a way to get, you know, those guys going.
01:04:50 - So you have as much like FU as Vrabel has?
01:04:52 'Cause Vrabel wears that next to the Titans badge
01:04:54 on his sleeve.
01:04:55 - Yeah, it's a little different.
01:04:57 He's not like the FU type.
01:04:59 He's the loud type though.
01:05:00 He can definitely be loud,
01:05:02 but it's more like energy talking, you know,
01:05:04 talking and stuff type of thing, which Vrabel does too.
01:05:07 - Yeah.
01:05:08 Sounds like they could use him on offense
01:05:09 to bring this back full circle.
01:05:10 One more juice.
01:05:11 - Yeah, he'll say, "It's a male over there."
01:05:12 He'll get 'em going.
01:05:13 - Yeah, a little bit.
01:05:15 James White, always the best.
01:05:16 You can hear him and see him on the Big Ten Network.
01:05:18 You mentioned you got a Wisconsin podcast going around.
01:05:20 Where else can the people find you?
01:05:22 - Yeah, you can find me on the Camp Randolph Platoon podcast.
01:05:25 Now on YouTube, and then I'm on Sirius XM channel 88
01:05:29 every Wednesday morning with Solomon Wilcox from Central.
01:05:32 I mean, on Eastern time is from what?
01:05:35 Eight to 10 on Wednesday.
01:05:36 So yeah, that's where you can find me at right now.
01:05:39 - Awesome.
01:05:40 My man, always appreciate your time.
01:05:41 Thank you for the insight.
01:05:43 This was terrific.
01:05:44 We always go longer than expected
01:05:45 and you are never in a hurry, which I always appreciate.
01:05:48 And yeah, hopefully we're talking more about your scenario
01:05:50 than the one I outlined, one in seven,
01:05:52 talking sellers and all this crazy stuff
01:05:54 because it's been a crazy season to date,
01:05:55 not for the right reasons.
01:05:57 But a little more juice might come out of it.
01:05:59 - Yeah, hopefully they turn the corner after this,
01:06:01 after this podcast.
01:06:03 - Yeah, for sure.
01:06:04 Thank you, James.
01:06:05 - No problem.
01:06:06 - Okay, guys, taking a quick break from the football
01:06:08 to talk about a new Pats interference partner, AG1.
01:06:12 It's a daily nutritional supplement for whole body health.
01:06:15 I gave AG1 a try, frankly, because they gave me a call.
01:06:19 But now after months of using AG1, I am giving you a call
01:06:23 because I take one scoop of AG1,
01:06:25 mix it into a glass of water every morning before breakfast
01:06:28 and drink it.
01:06:29 And right then and there, I know,
01:06:30 regardless of how long my day goes,
01:06:32 how stressed I get or how busy I am
01:06:34 with work down at Foxborough,
01:06:35 I have taken care of my vitamin, mineral and nutrient needs.
01:06:40 I have taken care of my body and it makes me feel great.
01:06:43 And as they say, you are what you eat.
01:06:44 And what AG1 is, is a science-driven formulation
01:06:47 of those vitamins, minerals and probiotics,
01:06:51 all whole food source nutrients
01:06:52 that support your energy, focus, strength
01:06:54 and mental clarity every single day.
01:06:56 Who doesn't need that mental clarity, especially nowadays?
01:06:59 And AG1 as a whole is raising the standard
01:07:02 for quality in the supplement category.
01:07:04 That goes for you folks taking the one pill a day.
01:07:06 So if a comprehensive solution is what you need
01:07:09 from your supplement routine, give AG1 a try
01:07:12 and get a free one year supply of vitamin D
01:07:15 and five free AG1 travel packs with your first purchase.
01:07:18 All you have to do, it's very simple.
01:07:19 Go to drinkag1.com/pats.
01:07:24 That's drinkag1.com/pats, drinkag1.com/pats.
01:07:29 Check it out.
01:07:31 (upbeat music)
01:07:34 (upbeat music)
01:07:37 (upbeat music)
01:07:40 (upbeat music)
01:07:42 (upbeat music)

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